Independent or Artistic or Both

Two movies: Requiem For A Dream and Donnie Darko...

A few weeks ago, I joined Netflix. A co-worker told me about the company months ago and at the time I was not interested. I have been buying the movies I was interested in seeing through my Columbia House membership. The problem is I have some really lame movies and no room to house them all. I used to just buy the movies I really loved and I wanted to get back to that. So I joined Netflix to be able to rent movies and watch them when ever I wanted to. Plus this way if I find one I really like, I can buy my own copy afterwards.

Anyway, I have rented four movies so far. The latest 2 are the ones I listed above. I think when I picked these 2 movies to watch together some sort of cosmic influence came into play. It definitely couldn't have been a mere coincidence. For those of you that have not seen these movies, I will not get too detailed with their plots. I hate when people ruin a movie for me by doing that.

Requiem For A Dream stars actors Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Jennfier Connelly, Christopher McDonald and Ellen Burstyn. The movie's description is as follows:

Evoking the inner landscape of human beings longing to connect, to love and feel loved, is this parable of happiness gloriously found and tragically lost. Parallel stories are linked by the relationship between the lonely, widowed Sara Goldfard and her sweet but aimless son, Harry. The plump Sara, galvanized by the prospect of appearing on a TV game show, has started on a dangerous diet regimen to beautify herself for a national audience. Meanwhile, Harry and his new girlfriend Marion Silver form close bonds with each looking to the other to redeem years of isolation and pain. Their love forms an artificial refuge. After Harry and his best friend Tyrone C. Love successfully launch themselves as drug dealers, the three young people feel invincible. Lulled by early victories, Sara, Harry, Marion and Tyrone convince themselves that unforeseen setbacks are just temporary--until they're plunged into delusion and desperation.

Donnie Darko stars actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore and Noah Wylie among several other relatively know actors. This movie's discription is as follows:

Some may think that Donnie Darko is a typical maladjusted teenager. Actually, Donnie is borderline delusional, beset by visions of a monstrous rabbit which is trying to keep him under its sinister influence. Prompted by this apparition, Donnie commits antisocial acts while he is undergoing psychotherapy, surviving the vagaries of high-school life and romance, and fortuitously escaping a bizarre death from a falling jet engine. Donnie battles his demons, literally and figuratively, in a series of intertwining story lines that deal with fundamentalist gurus, fate, predestination and the machinations of the universe.

Both movies contained info-mercials. One with the acronym name 'J.U.I.C.E.' and the other 'No Fear' which was kind of funny and sad when you think about it. Movies reflect real life (even if askewed). The fact that both of these movies contained info-mercials that their characters were obsessed with is just scary. And they were a recurring theme throughout the movies. Almost a character themselves.

But to me Requiem For A Dream was extreme...kind of over the top in my opinion. I mean I am sure that those things can happen, but all at once and to all of them? A friend of mind said that he found it pretty realistic. I will have to take his word for it since he knows more about that world than I do. It is a good movie to show impressionable young teens to prevent drug use however. "Look what happens when you take drugs! You lose EVERYTHING!" Much better than a smashed up egg.

Donnie Darko was drenched with symbolism. From the music, to the scene settings, to the background. It all had meaning and I missed about 90% of it. I realized this when I went back & rewatched the movie with the director's commentary (on the director's cut version). The commentary had Kevin Smith and the director Richard Kelly narrating. The commentary was very enlightening and entertaining, and like Kevin Smith admitted very dummifying (not sure if a word, but going with it). When Richard Kelly started discussing the multitude of meanings in each scene, I felt totally clueless. I was wondering what movie I actually watched cause I got almost NONE of the things he was trying to convey.

So is that what makes it an independent film or artistic film or both? When the meaning of the film can be interpreted different ways? I mean usually an independent film is one made on a low budget without studio assistance or backing. That means no influence on (or meddling with) the film's direction to make it a commercial success. Also they have to rely on the actors' actual performance instead of props and flash for telling their story.

Artistic films to me usually mean something completely off the wall that only a few people can understand and embrace. They are not for the masses, but those that can appreciate their uniqueness. I usually feel too common and uncultured to appreciate their beauty. That or they really are horrible junk and no one wants to admit it. You know, there is usually this air of pretension that comes along with the "appreciation" of artistic films. Like those of us that cannot understand or dislike these films lack some sort of higher breeding or education or taste. To mean art has no clear cut definition, just like the normal.

But however you feel about these films, it is like everything else. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.